Clutch for pipe-laying machines



Dec. 1s, 1923. n `11,4m7@

G. B. SMITH ET AL. x

CLUTCH FOR PIPE LAYING MACHINES Filed Oct. 29 1921 3 SheelZS-SheelI 1 Dec. 1s, 1923. 319477967@ G. B. SMITH ET Ai.

l CLUTCH FOR PIPE LAYING MACHINES Filed Oct. 2.9 1921 S Sheets-Sheet 2 ll O Q- N rk 5` N N N l 1 l lll gwuefnffow www' Dec.. 18 1923.

K G E. SMITH ET AL.

CLUTCH FOR PIPE LAYING MACHINES Filed O01;Y 29. 1921 3 Sheets-'Sheet 5 el tto-r m11 S Faterited illes., lf3, i923.

ares rarer-ir GEORGE B. SMITH AND ROY Vf. SANDER-S, QF HGSTON, TEXAS.

Application. filed @ctober 29, 1921.

/ all whom may concer/1t.'

Be it known that we, Grenen B. Siiririr and Rev il?. SANDERS, citizens of the United States, residing at Houston, in the county of o Harris and State of Texas, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in a Clutch for Pijoe-Laying lilachines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in a clutch for pipe laying machines.

@ne object of the invention-is to provide a clutch specially adapted for a` pipe laying machine designed for use in laying pipe lines and embodying means for screwing additional joints of pipe onto the line as the work progresse Another object resides in the provision of ai machine of this character whereby the motor may be connected to a joint of pipe to be screwed into the line through a clutch which will slip when given load is exceeded, so that should the threads become crossed, in screwing t-he joint onto the line, the clutch will slip and the threads will not become battered and ruined.

Vith the above and other objects in view this invention has particular relation to certain novel features of construction, operation and arrangement of parts an example of which is given in this specification and illustrated in the accompanying' drawings, wherein Figure 1 shows a plan view of the driving mechanism of a pipe laying machine.

Figure 2 shows an end view thereof.

liigure 3 shows an end view of the clutch employed.

lligure l shows a side view partially in section.

Figure 5 shows an end view of the driving men'iber thereof.

Figure G shows a longitudinal sectional view of the driving member.

Figure 7 si `)ws an end view of the driven member, and

VFigure S shows a side view thereof, partially in section. V

Referring more particularly to t-he drawings the numerals 1, 1 designate the side members of the framework, which also has the end members 2, 2 and the cross bar 3. A motor e is located on the framework and connected to it is the drive shaft 5. This shaft has a small spur gear wheel 6 splined thereon and connected to it there is the shift Serial No. 511,458.

lever 7 which is pivoted to one of the side members 1. The numeral 8 designates a driven shaft, rotatably mounted on the framework, and fixed `upon it are the spur gear wheels 9 and 10. The driven shaft is arranged to be connected to the joint of pipe to be rotated, by any suitable mechanism designed for the purpose.

The gear 6 may be shifted into mesh with the gear 9 and the shaft S thereby positively driven from the motor, or may be shifted out of mesh therewith and said shaft 8 connected with the motor through the clutch hereinafter described.

This clutch embodies the driven member 11, loosely mounted on the motor shaft 5 and formed with a spur gear to mesh with the gear to be driven, and also includes a driving member 12 fixed on said shaft 5 The driven member has an annular hood 13 formed integrally therewith and the driving member 12 has an annular flange 1l4 within said hood. Pivoted to this flange are a plurality of levers 15 which carry the yokes 16. Threaded into the respective ends of these yokes are the guide rods 17, 17 which work in the opposing bearings 1S, 18, formed integrally with the driving member. These yokes have the wooden friction blocks 19 secured thereon. and whose outer sides are convex conform to the contour of the hood 18 with which they are adapted to frictionally engage. Slidably mounted on the driving member there is a sleeve 20 having the spaced hearings 9.1, 21 carried thereby in which the respective shafts 22 rotate and the outwardly threaded rods 23 have one end threaded through said shafts between said bearings and their other ends threaded into the brackets 9.4i which are pivotally connette( to the outer ends of the respective levers 15.

The sleeve may be actuated through the manual lever Q5 connected thereto and pivoted to the adjacent side member l. Then said sleeve is moved outwardly the friction blocks 1S) will he n'ioved inwardly out of contact with the hood 13 and the driven reinber will be declutched from the driving member and vice versa.

When an at ditional joint is to be added to the line the driven shaft 8 is clutched with the drive shaft 5 through the clutch above described, and the spur gear 6 is shifted out of mesh with the gear 9. Then the joint of pipe is threaded onto the line and is .lisengaged shifted into mesh the joint up tightI the Clutch will then slip and-theV gear 6 is again' with the gear 9 to screw onto the line. Crossed in screwing the joint onto the line the extra load will eau-se` the clutch 'to4 sli-p before the threads arer battered and ruined. The adjusting rods 23Hare provided so that the clutch can be set to carry only a predetermined load and te thereafter slip so as to prevent the threads from being ruined should they become crossed.

What We elainris A clutch including a Ydriven member loose- .ly mounted on a driving shaft, a driving member fixed on said shaft, an annular hood formed integrally with thel driven member, an annular flangev Carried by the driving member within said hood, a pluralityv of levers pivoted to said flange, yokes pivoted to the respective levers, guide rods carriedv bythe respeotiveends of said yokes, bearings formed integrally With'the driving member, in. which said respective rods Work, friction blocks secured to the respective 1r' the threads should become `yokes, the outer sides of said 'friction blocks being Convex to Conform to the contour ot the said annularhood, with which they'are adapted to rietionally engage, a sleeve slidably mounted on the driving member, spaced bearings Carried by said sleeve, shaft-s rotatable in said spaced bearings, outwardly threaded rods threaded through said respeo tive shafts between the said bearings, brackets pivotally connected to the outer ends of therespeetive levers through which said outwardlythreaded rods Vare threaded andmeans for actuating said vsleeve whereby said friction blocksmay be manipulated into engagement with and released from said hood.

' In testimony whereby We havesigned our naines to this specification inthe presence of two subscribing- Witnesses.

GEORGE B. SMITH. R. WV. SANDERS. Witnesses:

S. Gr. Lor, A. C. FRIDGE. 

